PM Roble suspends Somali minister over charcoal export to Oman
Wednesday May 25 2022
Somalia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdisaid Muse Ali arrives for the first day of a European Union- African Union summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium, February 17, 2022. PHOTO | JOHN THYS | POOL via REUTERS
Somalia's Prime Minister Hussein Roble on Tuesday suspended Foreign Minister Abdisaid Muse Ali, citing the authorisation of a ship exporting charcoal to Oman in violation of international sanctions.
The UN Security Council banned such shipments a decade ago to cut funding for the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda franchise fighting Somalia's central government.
PM Roble's office said he has also ordered an audit and judicial investigation into the Foreign ministry's authorisation of the shipment.
Ali could not be reached and the Foreign ministry spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
The status of the shipment was unclear.